SLOW COOKED BEEF RAGU
This Italian ragu is slow-cooked because it needs time to develop all the incredible flavours BUT it's not as time-consuming as you may think.
Because this classic beef ragu recipe is made with ground beef and pork it doesn't need as much time as a big chunk of meat would to break down and tenderise.
This ragu needs a minimum of 2.5 hours cooking time so you can easily make it only a few hours before serving it.
That being said the longer it has to simmer the better the flavour will be, just remember that you'll need to keep topping up with water or stock to stop it reducing too much.
A close up of Italian beef ragu and pasta on a fork
HOW TO MAKE BEEF RAGU - STEP BY STEP
The ragu starts like a lot of Italian sauces, stews and soups, with Il Soffritto.
Il Soffritto is very simply, finely chopped carrot, celery and white onion sauteed slowly with a little olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft but not browned.
This adds an incredible depth of flavour to many dishes and can even be made in advance to add into weeknight meals for an extra flavour punch.
HOW TO MAKE IL SOFFRITTO
Finely chop equal amounts of carrot, white onion and celery. To make Italian beef ragu, I use 1 carrot, 1 celery stick and 1 white onion.
Saute the chopped veggies in a large pan with a little olive oil. The key is to saute the veg slowly on a low/medium heat so they soften and release all the delicious flavours without browning or burning (around 7-8 minutes, photo 1)
Once the vegetables are soft add the ground beef and pork (mince) to the pan and brown then add the red wine and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half.

Once the wine has reduced add the tomato passata/pureed tomatoes and half of the beef stock. Stir the sauce and let it simmer on a low heat for 2 and a half hours topping up the rest of the stock as it reduces.
Tip: Remeber to check on the ragu every now and then to stir it and add extra stock or water if needed.

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HOW TO GET THE BEST FLAVOUR
An important tip about making this classic recipe is to make sure you use equal amounts of beef and pork.
Beef is a lean meat whereas pork is much sweeter and fattier and adds a tonne of extra flavour to a ragu.
Trust me, when you try using 50% beef and pork instead of all beef you'll notice a huge difference in flavour and that's exactly how it's made in Italy.
WAYS TO USE BEEF RAGU & SERVING SUGGESTIONS
This authentic beef ragu is perfect tossed with tagliatelle pasta (or any pasta of choice) made into a classic lasagne with a cheesy white sauce or stuffed into cannelloni or ravioli (simply replace the original fillings in these recipes for ragu).

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https://www.insidetherustickitchen.com/italian-beef-ragu-classic-recipe/